


If only

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Astaire family dancers! [1]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:32:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3440522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time for an AU story for Fred and Ginger. I thought of this sitting in the dentist's chair the other day and the words if only kept running through my mind. It was better to think of this than look at a ceiling. It's a surprise so I won't say any more but I know two people will pick up on elements in this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If only

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OldMoviesAreIt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldMoviesAreIt/gifts), [Samantha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha/gifts).



‘Feeling better baby’, said Fred when he saw Ginger stirring, ‘I don’t want my wife to be sick’.  
He loved saying ‘my wife’ even though they had been married for nearly three years now. When she came out to California he had gladly given up the stage and followed her. They’d married almost immediately and were still as blissfully in love as that day they met in New York. They had just finished making their first movie together and it seemed to be a success. They were now taking a well-earned break and doing things they loved to do.  
Ginger had turned in early the night before saying she felt a little sickly and headachy. Fred was very worried, she was almost never ill, a cold now and then or maybe a stomach upset, so for her to say she felt like this sounded alarm bells and was a major concern for him. He’d brought her lemonade – she said she couldn’t face anything else and lay with her, stroking her hair and giving her all the reassurance he could. Privately he’d decided he’d call the doctor next day. She didn’t hold with doctors but he would put his foot down if she needed help. Her reply to his question cheered him.  
‘Better than last night Freddie. Thanks for looking after me’.  
‘That’s what a husband should do when he loves his wife so much’.  
They kissed – they always kissed good morning and good night – then Fred told her to take it easy while he ran her a hot tub.

When he returned she was looking white.  
‘I don’t feel very well, can you get me to the bathroom’.  
He helped her there and held her as she threw up violently.  
‘My God, Ginge, what’s wrong’.  
‘Don’t know Fred. I suddenly felt so nauseous’.  
‘You’ve got to see a doctor, I insist. You’re looking terrible’.  
She shook her head.  
‘I’ll be ok. I’ll rest up today’.  
He was firm and for once very decisive.  
‘I’m calling the doctor now. Gin, I’m frightened’.  
She let him take her back to bed, not having the strength to argue against his decision. He kissed her forehead and rushed to the phone.

The doctor arrived quickly and Fred was banished from their bedroom as he examined her. After what seemed the longest time for Fred he was called back into the room. Ginger looked as if she was in shock and he scurried over to hold her. The doctor looked very grave and Fred feared the worst. The doctor spoke.  
‘Mr Astaire, I’ve discussed this briefly with your wife. I’ve given her a thorough examination and I’m 100% certain of my diagnosis’.  
Fred’s heart was pounding and his mouth very dry.  
‘So Mr Astaire, I have to tell you that Mrs Astaire is …pregnant’.  
His heart flipped over and he tightened his grip on her.  
‘Pregnant’, he stammered  
‘Yes’, the doctor laughed, ‘it’s a perfectly normal thing you know and this morning sickness will soon ease off. We’ll keep a good eye on the mother to be’.

Fred practically hustled the poor man out of the door. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her. When he came back to their room a single tear was rolling down her cheek.  
‘Oh sweetie. A baby, how wonderful’.  
‘Are you happy Fred?’  
‘Happy - I could float away. Our first child – you and I made that. God I can’t tell you how marvellous that is’.  
‘I didn’t guess Fred – not at all. I’ve just felt a bit off recently and put it down to being so busy’.  
‘How far along are you’?  
‘The doctor said about eight weeks’.  
‘Can I touch you?’  
She laughed, ‘Of course you can touch me, I’m pregnant not an invalid’.  
‘I was so worried’.  
‘I know’.  
She pulled him towards her.  
‘Aren’t you going to kiss me?’  
‘For the rest of my life’, he replied.

For the next few months Fred lavished all his attentions on her and sometimes overwhelmed her with his ministrations. She endeavoured to make their life as normal as possible but when you lived with a worrier and also the kindest man in the world you had to put up with his funny little ways. He had started out treating her like glass, kissing and hugging her but afraid to do any more. She finally had to say, ‘We made love loads of times in the first eight weeks when we didn’t even know. I want to carry on doing that as long as we can. I can’t bear not to be intimate with you’.  
Since she was happy in that, Fred was too and they continued their loving as usual. In fact he thought and told her often, how her changing body made her even sexier in his eyes. Her breasts were becoming fuller and heavier and he loved the growing swell of her belly. He stroked her bump every day, massaged cream into it for her, lay with his head against it and even sang to his child inside. When he felt that first kick he was as delirious as she was.

Nearly every day something new arrived for the nursery – toys, clothes, all sorts.  
‘Fred’, she said one day after a delivery of more fluffy animals, ‘there’s enough here for twelve kids’.  
‘That can be arranged’, he said dreamily.  
They talked baby names.  
‘I’d like him to be called after you’, she said, ‘if it’s a boy’.  
‘Well a girl wouldn’t get too far with that name’.  
They settled on Rose Adele for a girl after she told him about the strangest dream she had where she had met a little girl who looked a lot like her. The girl had carried a rose and offered it to her and she knew it was their own child a few years on.

And later down the line when her doctor told them it was twins their delight knew no bounds.  
‘One each’, he chuckled, ‘good planning’.

As her time came nearer they talked about the birth.  
‘I’d love to have them here, in our home’.  
‘Isn’t hospital safer baby?’  
‘Fred I feel so well and there’ll be a midwife and doctor on hand. I know nothing will go wrong’.  
‘Well ok. And Ginge, I realise it’s not the done thing but I want to be there when you give birth’.  
‘The doctors will object but I won’t. I couldn’t bear not having you by my side’.  
He smiled contentedly, she sure loved him.

On the day of the birth she woke him at five a.m.  
‘Fred, I think it’s starting to happen’.  
He helped her into a warm bath and phoned the medical team. When he returned she told him her waters had broken. He got her to the make shift delivery suite he had set up and soon the medics arrived. The labor was long and Fred never left her side. He rubbed her back, held her through the first contractions, sponged her forehead and whispered words of love in her ear.

When the contractions were stronger and the birth was imminent he supported her so she could see something of the delivery. He hated the pain she had but knew she wanted these children so that she didn’t care.

Their first child came easily into the world. One last push, a cry like a climax from her and it was in the doctor’s hands. It wailed lustily. Fred told her it was a boy. The nurse gave him his first born, sticky and wriggling and he laid it against her chest.  
‘We made him Ginge, you and I, part of us’.  
She gave him a weary half smile as she played with the baby’s fingers.  
‘Hello Freddie. Say hi to your mom and dad’.

When after a few minutes the process began again they reluctantly allowed the nurse to take him to be washed.

His baby sister announced her arrival with the loudest cry and soon joined her parents against Ginger’s breast.  
‘Rose you’re perfect and so beautiful, just like your mom’.  
‘Look after them Fred’, she told him as the nurse began to clean her up so he went to the cribs and stood in wonder looking at the twins they had created.  
When she was ready once again to hold her babies Fred scurried about with his camera.  
‘I look a mess’.  
‘You look marvellous. Anyway they’re just for us’.  
Then he lay beside her and cradled her as she cradled the babies.  
‘We’re going to be so happy and these two will have the most love any children can have. Thank you for giving them to me’.  
‘Thank you for making them be here’.  
And the love in that small room enveloped them and their children as it would for the rest of their lives.


End file.
